Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are rare subpopulations within tumors which are recognized as culprits in cancer recurrence, drug resistance and metastasis. However, the molecular mechanisms of how CSCs are regulated remain elusive. Kruppel-like factors (KLFs) are evolutionarily conserved zinc finger-containing transcription factors with diverse functions in cell differentiation, proliferation, embryogenesis and pluripotency. Recent progress has highlighted the significance of KLFs, especially KLF4, in cancer and CSCs. Therefore, for better therapeutics of cancer disease, it is crucial to develop a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of how KLF4 regulate CSC functions. Herein we summarized the current understanding of the transcriptional regulation of KLF4 in CSCs, and discussed the functional implications of targeting CSCs for potential cancer therapeutics.
Highlights
Nowadays, cancer is one of the major causes of mortality all across the world (Siegel et al, 2014)
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subpopulation of tumor cells that play critical roles in cancer propagation, therapeutic resistance, metastasis, and tumor recurrence
Much has been explored about the functions of Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) in cancer, the special effect of each KLFs in mediating CSC functions still remains to be uncovered
Summary
Cancer is one of the major causes of mortality all across the world (Siegel et al, 2014). We summarized the current understanding of the transcriptional regulation of KLF4 in CSCs, and discussed the functional implications of targeting CSCs for potential cancer therapeutics. This review mainly focuses on the current understanding of KLF4 and its role in regulating CSC functions, and discusses the implications of targeting CSCs for cancer treatment.
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